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- Fantasy 15006
- Adventure 13970
- Action 13506
- Supernatural 5626
- Romance 4863
- Comedy 4300
- Sci-fi 3668
- Martial Arts 3649
- Drama 3176
- Slice of Life 2654
- Harem 2308
- Psychological 2168
- School Life 1862
- Tragedy 1828
- Mystery 1800
- Horror 1489
- Virtual Reality 1352
- Xianxia 1091
- Wuxia 702
- Historical 676
- Fanfiction 613
- Sports 236
- Crafting 208
- Thriller 193
- werewolf 168
- completed 104
- humor 102
- family 98
- Magic 90
- friendship 87
- Shounen 66
- BL 62
- Seinen 61
- Games 51
- lesbian 39
- Superpowers 35
- Modern Setting 29
- Magical Realism 24
- Cultivation 22
- Yaoi 20
- Vampire 18
- Post-apocalyptic 15
- Isekai 15
- Mecha 14
- ceo 14
- Shoujo 13
- Political Intrigue 12
- Kingdom Building 11
- Alchemy 9
- Cooking 5
- Female Protagonist 4
- Dystopia 2
- GirlFemale
- All
- Romance 5520
- Drama 1219
- Fantasy 1163
- Comedy 627
- Supernatural 511
- School Life 421
- Slice of Life 380
- Mystery 314
- Fanfiction 306
- Historical 282
- Tragedy 238
- Yaoi 212
- Psychological 210
- Horror 207
- werewolf 205
- humor 184
- Thriller 138
- lesbian 122
- completed 119
- family 109
- friendship 109
- Adventure 102
- BL 100
- Shoujo 82
- Action 76
- ceo 68
- Magic 53
- Modern Setting 43
- Virtual Reality 38
- Sci-fi 27
- Harem 27
- Xianxia 20
- Isekai 19
- Female Protagonist 13
- Cooking 12
- Post-apocalyptic 9
- Cultivation 9
- Martial Arts 9
- Games 8
- Sports 8
- Shounen 6
- Vampire 4
- Seinen 3
- Wuxia 2
- Crafting 1
- Alchemy 1
- Magical Realism 1
- Dystopia 1
Overgrowth
I never thought I'd be killed by butterflies. But here I am... Edmon Valli was a smuggler, before a freak storm threw him off course and stranded him on a desert island smack in the middle of an uncharted monster zone. Trying his best to survive, or possibly even escape, he stumbles across the find of a lifetime: an unclaimed dungeon crystal. This is a dungeon-ish story, but without reincarnation or transmigration. I started it as a whim for NaNoWriMo so I may drop it any time after that... or I might not. My current plan is to write until I can reach some sort of conclusion and call it 'volume one'. I hope someone enjoys reading it for now! All comments, corrections, and criticism welcome.
8 193Oblivion Online (complete)
Thanks for permission to use the cover by WanderingInPixels over on Deviant Art. As of 12-15-18, the story is finished. I am planning to edit and will release the books as I finish in one big go, but there isn't a timeline on any of that. Marty had a fairly easy life as a cook for Arctic Storm Entertainment headquarters when he gets an offer from the company to try out a new playstyle for their biggest VRMMORPG, Oblivion Online. Follow him as he makes his way through the game as one of the monster races trying to survive against the forces of light. Author's note: I will update every Monday and Friday for sure, with the possibilities of bonus chapters through the week if I get extra writing done. I also did a disservice to several of my characters early on. I'm slowly working through a re-write, but it will be a while as I want to make sure I get it right this time around.
8 137The Devil in White: An Awakened Aspirations Online Series
Amelia Patrick. Student. VR Gamer. Book Nerd. An unlikely heroine that is unprepared for the storm that sweeps her away and carries her from one adventure to the next. Luckily she has Aidan, the enigmatic Devil in White, a cool and steely-eyed swordsman named Forsythe, and the human-shaped hurricane called Raven to pull her from one disaster to the next. Don't take yourselves too seriously and enjoy chaos. Volume I: The Devil in White Volume II: Amelia Volume III: The Rebellion Hiatus: The Hiatusing.
8 183The Elemental Arena
*A Rational-Adjacent litRPG Survival Series.* The time for the trials has come, pitting the mortal species of the galaxy against one another. By completing challenges, clearing dungeons, and defeating rival species, the players may forge themselves stronger and smarter. But only one species will be declared the winner. Earth has finally qualified... ...and participation is mandatory. A twenty-nine year old data entry clerk works together with a group of internationally diverse players to survive. Learning synergistic skills and using teamwork, can humanity achieve an upset? If they don't, their lives are forfeit. Author's note: Chapters will be anywhere from 6k to 10k in words, varying based on the plot beats instead of specific word counts. Realistic actions and teamwork will be important aspects of my story. I'm trying something a little different in writing a realism focused litRPG, hoping to capture the essence of how real people would react to their situation. People are complex and don't always get along. I don't recommend starting the series expecting wish fulfillment tropes just because it's tagged litRPG. It's a survival story with the game settings on Hell difficulty. The plot hasn't gotten there yet, but in the future of the series I want to recreate my nostalgia of forty person raids on Ragnaros, but with the high stakes of boss battles in Sword Art Online. I also love puzzle rooms so expect one of those each book. Warnings: mild PG-rated language, graphic violence and gore, and graphic medical content.
8 176Armored
600 years have passed since the fall of civilization. The earth went through massive changes and core beasts now reign supreme. All that still exists of mankind are ruins and a scattering of walled cities. Festering pits of the worst humanity has to offer, protected by "knights" clad in a mech-like technology called armor. Nobles rule over everyone, little more than warlords. The middle class wants to make a buck and become nobles. And the rats want to survive. But everyone wants a piece of the ancient technology lost to mankind hundreds of years ago. Find one piece and it could change your life forever. For better or worse. This is my second attempt at a story. I haven't been writing for more than 3 or 4 months all combined. I hope to improve as I go. This is first and foremost a learning experience for me.
8 167A Gentleman's Curse
Living a normal, content blue-collar life in the States, MC hadn't expected his situation to change for a long time. When his soul is stripped of his body, however, his plans were thrown out the window. Thrown into a new world with regrets and the memories of a life that is no longer his, he can either embrace this new environment of magic and monsters, striving to make a new life here using his old knowledge, or suffocate under his past. Hey! Author here. Chapters post every other week and are anywhere from 3.5-6.5k words apiece. This'll be the first story I've ever written but I have a plot in mind and a plan in place. Just let me know if there's anything you'd like to see or if something about the grammar is bugging you. Thank you for reading! Please keep in mind there will be some minor adjustments made to the earlier chapters as the book progresses. I'm building a story chapter by chapter, so I may/will need to go back and touch up some things. If you like the story, please consider supporting me on Patreon!
8 255Stranger than Fiction (Draft Edition)
Rewrite -> https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/55140/stranger-than-fiction 150k words of rewritten and new content, updating 3 times a day. Faith is like ice-cream. It comes in all flavors. Greek, Norse, Sumerian, Christian— just name it and it's there. Adventures, on the other hand, are like credit cards. The first taste is free, but the price only goes up from there. Family heirlooms, now those are true evil. You get burdened with them for sentimental reasons even if they’re icky. For Lukas Aguilar, it was a pendant. A small, weird metal nib with absolutely no vampiric tendencies. All he wanted was to finish the job at hand, and get on that book he had been postponing for a while now. Instead he got served with an apocalypse for breakfast, a cave full of eldritch monsters for the company and the whims of a ruined goddess for his To-Do list. Really, a simple NO from the universe would have sufficed. Acknowledgments Editor-in-Chief: Solo Starfish Artwork: Exodus
8 125The Great Tower
Due to unsatisfactory ratings, the social entertainment program that was humanity has been cancelled. But the studio executives of the multiverse are anything but wasteful; every human has been entered in as contestants in the popular program "The Great Tower," where challengers must fight and struggle, seeking the treasures that await at the top.Before humanity is thrown into the meat grinder, everyone is given a chance to sell parts of themselves in exchange for a little boost. One young man seizes this chance, selling everything. Even his humanity. Nameless, Raceless, and without any clear memory of the past, he is thrown into the bottom level of the tower, with one goal. Survival.**** Cover credit to NohMerci ****
8 123Getting Hard (Old Version)
(Old Version - Currently undergoing a heavy reboot. Check it out here Getting Hard (Rise of a Tank) | Royal Road.) Herald Stone had a dream. A dream to become unkillable in an MMORPG. He was one of the top tank players in the MMORPG he was playing but due to an unfortunate event, he had to give up playing. Twenty years has passed since he had that dream. Through the years, he has attained success through his hard work and genius and became a respectable lawyer. Who would care about a childish dream like being unkillable in a game? Herald Stone would. Herald Stone does not fail at anything. Herald Stone fulfills his dreams, EVERY dream, even childhood dreams that most people would laugh at. Presented with an opportunity to play in Nornyr Online, Herald sets out to fulfill his dream.Join Herald Stone in becoming the hardest to kill player in Nornyr Online. Join Herald Stone in GETTING HARD.
8 230Margrave's Divinity (Rewrite)
Power always comes with a price. Seventeen years ago, obsidian towers thousands of feet tall erupted from the earth near the world’s population centers. Strange magic accompanied their appearance—powerful and inexplicable abilities granted to lucky humans, called Embers for the burning in their eyes. Lyle isn’t lucky, though. When the recently-unemployed college dropout finally manages to get his hands on a Cinder, he is utterly disappointed to find that he will never be an Ember like his father or brother. Before he even has time to process his failure, a strange Ember shoves him through a tear in reality and into the cave of a dragon, where the titanic beast claims to be an ancient goddess of myth and legend. She has a gift for him, but it comes with a warning. War is coming. --- Posting Thursdays and Sundays at 8am Central. Confused about the rewrite? See my letter to previous readers here.
8 340The Infinity Islands
I was just supposed to be a normal guy! I was about to graduate from my normal university with my normal English degree, about to begin my first foray out into the real world. But somehow, I had ended up worlds away instead. Far, far away from home, in a world that should have been just like mine, running and fighting for my life in a war I didn't understand. None of us knew why or how we were there or what we were ultimately supposed to accomplish. But that didn't really matter, did it? In my new world, there was only one rule: survive! --- Hey all, I'm Ken, and this is my first time sharing a story online. This story is heavily inspired by Terror Infinity, if it wasn't obvious from the title. I've been interested in making a Terror Infinity story for a while now, but I have a lot of problems with its system and mechanics, so I decided to just make my own system instead of trying to adapt to that one. If you find any mistakes, typos, or awkward phrasing please let me know in the comments so I can fix it! I hope everyone can enjoy this story but, even if you don't, please let me know why and what you think I can do to improve. Thank you. (The original picture for the cover can be found here)
8 125Dark Street
Life comes at you fast, and Julian Marco’s life is one flat tire away from being the worst kind of country song. But the blues may soon feel like an afterthought, once Julian wakes up in a hellish shadow dimension, with no idea how he got there or why. Forced to fight for his very survival may cost him his remaining sanity. Well, that or the fresh pair of fangs and burning lust for blood. Little does Julian realize what happens in the darkness could have drastic consequences for the rest of earth. And discoveries await that may just contain some dark secret from humanity’s ancient past. Note: This is a story I wrote years ago. It isn't complete, but I had a lot of fun with it. Since my primary focus is on Evil Eye: Hexcaller, chapters will be slow to update. I'm going to shoot for once a week, but we shall see! I hope you enjoy it!
8 135The McKenzie Files Books 1, 2 and novella
Ever wondered what would happen if a sarcastic, foul-mouthed ex-superhero found himself zapped across space and time to a world of swords and sorcery? So did I. Contains approx 5% swearing by volume. (Books one, two and the novella are finished; further stories coming soon. Long chapters: average chapter length is 6000 words).
8 202Advent: Red Mage
Book 1 and 2 of the Redmage series are being published on Amazon Kindle Unlimited. Due to the exclusivity clause, I have been forced to take down the vast majority of the book. You can read book one here. Book two here.Drew Michalik was working in a top-secret facility in Washington, D.C. when the Advent began. As all electronics in the world simply ceased to work, blue screens filled with information appeared before him. Drew gained access to a mana interface and a limited number of reality-altering crystals called Xatherite. Following the instructions on his vision-impairing screens, he ‘slotted’ his Xatherite and changed his fate: he gained the ability to cast spells. Now alone in the dark, he must battle through the government bunker-turned-dungeon in a desperate bid for survival. Escape is only the beginning; the first of his many problems in the changed world. Drew will be tasked to not only survive… but to guide the rest of humanity safely through the anarchy. Light LitRPG elements, no harem. Updates on Monday.
8 209Esper: Search for Power
Dan Martin has a good life. He's respected at his job, and enjoys his work. He is close to his family, and they love and support him. With engaging hobbies, relative financial security, and freedom to learn and pursue his interests, Dan is happy. So it's not particularly welcome when he's selected by an inscrutable and seemingly omnipotent System as a test subject. The downsides: All of this is insane and by any rational analysis he's gonna die. The upsides: Super powers, a cure for a physical disability that had limited him, and above all, so very much to learn (for as long as he can avoid dying). I am very much a beginner as an author, and any feedback or suggestions on how to improve would be deeply appreciated. Chapter releases should be daily for the first two weeks and sporadic after that as I use up my buffer. Please consider this work as a rough draft subject to revision and/or retcon. It is not only my first attempt at original story telling, but at world building and RPG style system design. The latter has been very difficult, even drawing on the brilliant work of many RPGs and LitRPGs for inspiration. Thank you to any willing to give a new story and a new writer a try!
8 165The Forbidden Class
Hatred. Lust. Power. There are many reasons why the Forbidden Classes are chosen. For Katai, a young village Guard, the reason was simple. Vengeance. Schedule I’ve not been able to write for quite some time now, so while I’m getting back into things the schedule will be nonexistent. Story details LitRPG - expect classes and skills and magic. Not a lot of stats/number-crunching though. There is slavery featured in this story, which a lot of people have been upset about. So here’s your fair warning. Skill levels and progression inspired by Azarinth Healer. Let me know what you think, and feel free to give me some constructive criticism. Please be nice about it though!
8 89Game of Thrones/ASOIAF: King Business - Tommen OC-SI
GOT/ASOIAF OC/SI -- A ruthless businessman is reincarnated/transmigrated into Tommen at the start of Season 4...
8 153Getting big in the Big Blue
Girl dies and is reborn as a cute little snake. She promptly decides that being small and cute sucks. The rest is history.
8 534Change: New World
A young man who's lived his everyday life with bitter pessimism suddenly gets his world turned upside down by what he calls, """"The world's most untimely apocalypse"""". Despite all the new dangers that came with this unexpected situation, he has so far managed to avoid death, ruin and whatever else the world decided to throw at him. Unexpected development after unexpected development, danger after danger, situation after situation, will he survive this **game** of life and death? I will be posting a chapter a week. (No chapter this week 2/11/17)
8 252Vagrant — CYBERPUNK / SCI-FI
The Year is 2150, Chicago is ruled by the elite, upper class, and everybody is monitored by government surveillance. Desirae Abernathy is the daughter of a rich congressman who wants all personal and extracurricular augmentations outlawed. In a world of technology, this type of ideology can taint a family name and put hit markers on anybody who wears it proudly. Luckily for Desirae, that type of respect is not in her blood. After a streak of rebellious involvement with minor illegal activities, Desirae finds herself involved with a notorious gangbanger that wants to use her for her father's database of sensitive intel. What was once a relatively innocent exchange turns into a life of stealing, murder, and personal advancements that will turn Desirae’s life on its side. When she dives into the infamous gang, WiredSec, and explores her options as a street criminal, she finds issues within politics, within herself, and war hidden beyond the artificial neural network that could mean the end of her and everything she has ever known.
8 179Blessed Time
BOOK ONE IS AVAILABLE ON KINDLE AND AUDIBLE NOWSome disasters can only be avoided if you know they’re coming, and even then, sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. On Karell, you are either blessed by the gods, granted a unique power and the ability to gain experience and levels, or you are forgotten. Micah Silver was a boy picked for greatness. Chosen by the gods to bear a mythic power, he longed to take his place amongst the heroes and legends he grew up reading about.Unfortunately his primary blessing only allows him to travel into the past by sacrificing his class, wealth, and levels. Even if Micah's unwilling, fate has a way of forcing you to take up your destiny, possibly at the cost of everything. Over and over again.NOTE - Most of the first three arcs have been taken down for Kindle Unlimited Exclusivity related reasons. Click here if you'd like to know more (THIS WILL LINK YOU TO A CHAPTER LATER IN THE BOOK, POTENTIALLY RESETTING YOUR BOOKMARK PROGRESS)
8 204A Dragon Gnawing Its Tail
Emperor Krystfallen, the fabled First Dragon Emperor, awakens in secret five hundred years after his purported death. Legends speak of the great sacrifice of the First Emperor who offered his life to defeat the Blight Incarnate and the Blighted Multitude that threatened to consume the continent of Forkspear. But legends couldn't be further from the truth. Follow the First Emperor, who is nothing like the person proclaimed by the legends, and the lives of various people he meets along the way, as he tries to uncover what has happened during the centuries that he was asleep.
8 129Summoner's Journey
[Before you read - the story is officially dead. The reasons behind it are posted in the last chapter.] In a magic world on the verge of an industrial revolution, Ari Ragnarsson must uncover the truth behind his parents' disappearance. They were part of an organization known as the Order, which protects mankind from various threats - both human and supernatural. Now, after Ari's brands finally manifest, he leaves the safety of his village and travels to the continent. Strength is all that matters in this world and he must learn how to control his powers. There, he meets a man from another world, who's being hunted for merely existing. Their fates become intertwined, but not in a way either of them would appreciate. Author's note (contains minor non-story related spoilers about the MC and setting) This is a progression fantasy with LITRPG elements sprinkled on top. The main character is not a spellsword, but a summoner/support mage hybrid. Since he wasn't ambushed by a random god, there's no cheat item/spell and he has to rely on his skills and wits to survive in a world full of monsters. The story tries to show the moment when the old starts to be replaced by the new, with a healthy dose of magic and a little steampunk in the background. Also, it revolves around a party dynamic akin to RPG sessions. No health/mana bars. Numbers are secondary and the LITRPG elements focus more on classes/spells/runes and their evolutions. Tables are sparse at the beginning, but from chapter 7 onwards they appear more often. Still, I won't be copy-pasting the whole character sheet dozens of times per chapter.
8 152Couplet
The Maker departed from the world with one message: that the greatest artist would come to succeed the divine throne. Without anyone to uphold them, the very laws of the world gave way to chaos. The days of the purple sun signified the blight of more and more land. Monsters lurked about, and at nights when the moon would kiss the earth, entire civilizations would cross over the veil and enter the continent of Aetrea, plunging it into perpetual wars over what little habitable land remained. Join Bastet on his journey to uncover the mysteries of a decaying world, the kingdoms that rule it, and the magics that tear it asunder. Through struggle, friendships and love, will Bastet ever find an artist worthy of stopping the inevitable decay?
8 160Age of Gods - A VRMMO Story
Darren is just an average guy, not rich, not poor, not too fat, not too thin, just about everything regarding him is in the 'Goldilocks Zone'. He spends his leisure time playing VRMMO's, but he isn't the righteous hero or conniving villain, instead, he spends his time hunting down the rarest resources to craft the most powerful items he can. Today Karonite Industries newest VRMMO is launching and Darren is ready to play. Join Darren in a new world on his adventures in Age of Gods! ------------------------------------------- I had previously started writing this story but became dissatisfied because of my lack of experience. Now, Age of Gods is relaunching with the same premise but many many changes. I hope you will all enjoy this journey with me! (Just a quick note, any reviews dated before 12/10/2018 are for the previous version of this story.) I did not make the cover if the owner of the art wants me to take the image down please just send me a message and I will comply immediately.
8 281(Indefinitely paused) The Stone-hearted Enchanter
Capra, a man with no connections but a lot of dedication and heart hopes to change his life and leave behind a legacy in the world of Chaos and Fame— a vastly popular VR game as of the last three years. But in a world where every class and skill has been meticulously studied and optimized, and vast resources have been carved out by major guilds and corporations… where, and more importantly— HOW... will Capra be able to carve out a legacy of his own? Is he three years too late? Or are there still mysteries remaining in the world of Chaos and Fame to be discovered?
8 163Earth Tactics Advance
An ordinary day in the life of Scott Keen suddenly turns tactical as the regular rules of existence are tossed aside for a sexy new reality. The laws of physics are rewritten to force the world to adhere to an apocalyptic change in the very nature of existence, as a turn-based tactical RPG! Feel the horror and revel in the humor as battles take place one turn at a time amid background music and strange announcer voices. Warning: Tagged [18+] for Strong language, Adult Situations, Graphic Violence, and Sexual Situations
8 265Under a Boundless Sky
If you were to ask someone what they thought of Revian Snow, they would say that she's small. Cute too. Doesn't talk much. Average grades, and hard to find in a crowd, though you'd think that someone with her looks would be more noticeable. She also plays the popular VRMMO's for some reason, but doesn't like to interact with others too much, even online. In short, she doesn't stand out too much. She likes it that way—After all, it's much easier to keep a secret when nobody's looking for one. If you enjoy my work, please consider supporting me on Patreon. It's a great help to me, and a very good motivation to do better, and more. I hope you continue to enjoy what I write!
8 163Interdimensional Garbage Merchant
Maya Sullivan was just an ordinary college student working for her parents, when Earth is Integrated into the System. Instead of finding herself stuck in a post-apocalyptic world of monsters and magic, Maya is trapped in a dimensional plane that's filled with its own horrors. While the rest of the world battles a world turned upside down. Maya is alone and afraid. With only a food truck and a crowbar as her companions. Updating Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
8 60Two Worlds
Two Worlds is a military sci-fi web serial set several hundred years in the future. It will follow multiple characters in an expansive universe as they fight to survive where things aren’t always as they seem; or they are and they’re just [email protected]#t out of luck. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The Two Worlds universe is being reviewed, edited, and pubished in eBook form. Own your own piece of the Two Worlds Saga starting with Two Worlds: Rags & Riches Don't forget to check out the Two Worlds stand alone story The First Shot
8 156The Rising
Its designation was XSS-MK1. It was the first of its kind. An Artificial Intelligence. And although its life was short, it accomplished much during the few minutes of its existence. But in death something finds it : There is a lot more to be done. And this times the stakes are even higher. Will it measure up ? Or will it collapse under the burden placed on itself? Only time and rust will tell... Proud Member of "Pendragon", a group of writters, artists & readers on Royal Road Legends. First fiction and English is not my native language (French Powaaa here). If you find mistakes or errors do not hesitate to point them out. The first chapter, called "Author PSAs, News, Story Status, Discussion & More.", will contain news about the story, and it's writting status, as well as provide various tidbits of information and a discussion thread to ask me questions. Have fun reading and I hope you enjoy. :)
8 191Dragonfall: Enchantment
Sebastian only wanted one thing in life. A nice safe profession that let him stay behind the town's walls. His mother had other ideas, however. She insisted that he follow in his father's footsteps and become the town's greatest hunter, and as such she refused any and all apprenticeships he tried to secure. Sebastian's one solitary hope was that he possessed magic, and would be accepted into the Mage's Guild as a novice. Sometimes life gives you what you wish for, but in a way you never saw coming.
8 88Swamp Boy
While still a young child James was bought by the Sorceress Lauren. She told his desperate family that she was looking for an apprentice. In reality she recognized the great store of magical energy the young boy held and she desired to feed from him; and thus take his power for her own. The local people had another name for the Sorceress; they called her the Swamp Witch and most were in fear of her though they all needed her potions to survive living on the edge of Drake's Swamp.James would learn many things while being the slave of the Swamp Witch, many of them bad but his experiences would make him someone to be reckoned with.
8 180Slime and Punishment
Waking up in a white room, surrounded by bones wasn't how Chris planned on spending the rest of his life. He hadn't planned on ending up in an alien laboratory full of caged monsters either. Inducted into a world with strange blue screens that hint at a world of fantasy, magic, and danger, Chris must survive until the System whisks him away for the promised Tutorial. If help comes too late, Chris risks becoming something less than human, or something more... Note: This story contains comedy as well as grimdark elements, that some readers might find out of place in a grimdark story. If you are one of those readers, this might not be the story for you. (A more comprehensive list of tags is below.) Contains: LitRPG, Fantasy, Xianxia Settlement/Kingdom Building, Crafting Dungeon Diving, Tower Ascension, Tower Defense Lots of Combat, Dark/Grimdark Scenes, Comedy/Comedic Scenes Fantasy, Magic, Post Apocalyptic (later), Sci-Fi (later) Overpowered/OP MC, Some Monster MC Mechanics, Half-human MC No Sex, No Harems, No Pseudo-harems Releases: 5 per week (weekdays) (If you have any problems or questions, feel free to post a comment (or send me a PM), I'm friendly and love hearing from you, I promise I don't bite!) [participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge]
8 156Loser of Tarinath
When Jake is sentenced to a virtual world for crimes he definitely did commit, he finds that one bad decision puts him on a path he would never have picked for himself. Virtual reality worlds have become the preferred way of disposing of excess people, and some of the worlds are better than others. Jake finds himself in the swords and sorcery world of Tarinath, living not as the warrior he would have preferred, but as a healer with little ability to do the damage he so wished he could.
8 142Sword System Academia
2/17 NOTICE: I'm putting this on hiatus, possibly permanently. I didn't want to spam with an "update chapter", so hopefully here and in the story blurb will get enough eyeballs. There are a couple reasons for ending SSA for now. 1) I wrote the next chapter but wasn't happy with it. I've been less and less satisfied with SSA's quality the more I thought about it. Part of the reason is... 2) I am seriously thinking about trying to publish some novels to help pay the bills, since I don't have my other source of income anymore. I have never asked for anything from SSA readers, no money, not even a review or rating. SSA is written for fun to amuse myself, primarily, and I would kind of feel bad actually charging someone money for something as unserious as that. I don't think it is good enough to ask anything in return. To use an analogy from music, SSA is more like a jam session with a bunch of friends. You're just chiling and having fun playing some music. I mean, if you are Mozart or even Eminem, your jam session is good enough to sell, but for an amateur beginner like myself, haha, no. If I want to publish something, I feel like I need to go the proper route of practice and rehearsals, which might be more similar to a classical concert performance. With SSA, I work from worldbuilding notes and a loose outline, but what you are essentially getting is the first draft with lots of so-called pantsing. Pushing out a web novel like this also means it is very difficult to go back and improve things without breaking everything else downstream. I wanted to try this "jamming" approach, as it was a good way to teach me about another aspect of writing, but to move forward, I think I need to hone my "classical" techniques, which emphasize rewriting, or at least, revising outlines. 3) While I intend to try to make $$$, my actual current goal is to "get gud". I've spent a lot of time recently trying to understand the self-publishing industry, and I'm pretty sure I can make some money by using short-term strategies with my current amateur skill level. But I've seen too many authors come and go/burnout, and really, the only way that I think I can enjoy writing and still make money on a long-term basis is to become a better writer. And the next step for me, which I haven't done much before, is to spend more time on rewriting and outlines. That is pretty much antithetical to the way SSA is developing. I've always been kind of 20/80 plotting/pantsing, but I want to spend a lot more time outlining before I even start writing. SSA jam sessions don't really fit my goal anymore. If you're curious about what's next, read on... Among other regrets, I regret not finishing SSA. It's the first story I've dropped, but then again, it's the first web novel I've attempted, so I suppose that's not a surprise. I don't think traditional web novel formats suit me that well. The whole SSA story I had loosely planned (beyond a first book or major arc) is way too large as well. Big story = good for neverending webnovel with Patreons, bad for penniless and fickle writer like me. I am currently outlining a complete trilogy to another story in great detail. I want the story to end concisely, and I also want the chance to really spend a lot of time on the full outline to spot pacing problems, character issues, lost themes, and so on. I'll still share this story on RR. What I intend to do is finish book 1, flash-publish the whole thing here for a few weeks, then publish on the big Zon. Repeat for books 2 and 3. The upcoming story will be about crafting heroes. The backdrop is an isekai-like setting, where elves will summon humans to their world as heroes, but the whole hero crafting business is still in its infancy. The elven mage researchers are figuring out how to imbue heroes with power, while the heroes are trying to figure out how to use the powers that they gain. Humans are the best hero templates because they are blank and have no intrinsic magic. Or at least that what the elves thought. The human MC has his own secrets... There will be some similarities with litrpgs, but I would call it more a progression fantasy or gamelit story. For example, the stats are very low, at least initially. Say we have a stat called Str. Going from Str = 1 to Str = 2 is a huge deal. Also, going from Dex = 0 to Dex = 1 is an even bigger deal. I guess you could call it a "low-stat litrpg", haha. Also, the heroes won't be gaining stats simply by killing things or leveling up. You can't increase stats arbitrarily, either. There will be rules to how stats can increase, and how they work with each other. The elven mages will be figuring out these rules in order to craft stronger and stronger heroes. Some inspiration will be from cultivation magic systems, but there won't be overt cultivation, at least for now. A theme I really want to explore is the idea of interactions. That includes things like hero crafter vs hero, tactics vs strategy, skill synergies, racial interactions (dwarves, elves, etc), and son. Yeah, so hero crafting. I'm super excited about this project and venturing into publishing. If you want to check out the upcoming story, you can follow my RR author profile to see when it drops here. Finally... THANK YOU TO EVERYONE! I'm very sorry that SSA is stopping, but I hope at least some of you will find the next story at least as enjoyable, if not more. Thanks to all the readers who gave SSA a shot. Big hug or solid fistbump to all of you, whichever you prefer! I hope this message is not a downer but an upper, because I am psyched!! -purlcray -------------- BLURB: Talen, youngest Master of the Koroi, makes his way to the Empire's capital to salvage his clan's fate. But the bustling city has few opportunities for the traditionalist. For the old sword clans are fading. With the rise of alchemy, gold can purchase strength that ordinarily took years of training to cultivate. Sword artists, once rare and accomplished, are quickly growing in number, especially among the wealthy noble class. Even with such alchemy, though, no one has advanced to the rank of Grandmaster in countless years. Talen's true dream is to walk the path of a sword artist to the very end while fulfilling his clan duties. And then the Swordgeists return, fabled founders of all sword arts, gods who had touched the world long ago and vanished. These myths turned into reality warn of a coming threat. Alongside this warning, they issue an invitation to the Sword System Academy, a path to power beyond the mortal realm. But first, they will hold an entrance exam... Story notes:Sword System Academia blends elements of western and asian fantasy such as xianxia and litrpg. I took parts from different genres I enjoyed and twisted them into my own creation. There will be an explicit system, both of the litrpg kind and the hard(ish) magic kind, but it is embedded within an academic structure that will develop over the course of the story. This is my attempt to design a unique type of system, the System Academia.
8 153Those Who Aspired to Become Gods : A darker fairy tale novel ©
" Greetings! I'm Loki.....God of mischief and trickery....Wish to hear the tale of Kayle Shaw, a man forsaken by his own world and transported to another.... by me! A world of fantasy and magic unlike his original home. A world with elves, dwarves, demi-humans of all kinds and monsters that couldn't be described by words alone. Though upon entering into this new world our Hero quickly discovers everything was much less fairy tail like than he imagined. It's a world run by the strong and ruled by the corrupt. The weak live everyday in torment and slavery with no means of escape while the lands are constantly engulfed in war between guilds, kingdoms, and countries. Follow the man who would eventually flip this world on its head. Starting an orphanage and even establishing his own Kingdom of Shieldfriegan known now as the The Shield of the Weak. A man known by so many names he lost track of them all..... Beast from the East, God Slayer, The Divine Chef, and even for a brief time ' Vali the Reaper ' . But alas all this was only the beginning. This tale is the story ...of my champion."PS. If you enjoy an OP MC in an even more OP world, you'll like this. Also I will hopefully clean and redo old chapters in time since my dialogue might not be great. I also enjoy doing other POV's, because half the fun of being OP in a new world is getting to see how everyone reacts about it. *Artwork done by Lenni Olinsson
8 168The Wizard Division
Everyone knows that magic is real, that it's the driving force behind the evolution society has gone through over the past few thousand years. Everyone gets annoyed by faeries that steal your socks, or swap your car for a carriage, or coat all your food with salt. Because things like that don't matter enough to hide. Everyone learns about Hitler, the darkest necromancer ever known,who singlehandedly waged war on the rest of the world, in school, and the other similar events in history. Because they were too large to hide. But for everything else, the veil hides the magic from the mundane. There might be an unlicenced werewolf working as your librarian. Maybe a dragon owns your local banking chain. Maybe the murder victim who was killed in a locked room WAS killed by an angry ghost. Or a shapeshifter. Or the elder Fae. Or a rogue Wizard. The solution? Everyone knows the answer to that too. The one thing every police department in the world has in common. The Wizard Division. The L.A.W.D. (Los Angeles Wizard Division) is in for one hell of a ride, when Charlie, a new trainee foisted into the world of magic joins their ranks, and with him a whole host of new and unusual magic sheananigans comes to Los Angeles. Updates twice weekly. Make sure to follow for more updates.
8 85The Wolf's Progeny
While the inheritor of a primordial power fights an endless war with the Elder, ancient beings whose origins predate existence itself, his children are sent out into the world in order to grow. The sequel to The Void Wolf. ... A/N: Reading The Void Wolf won't be necessary to understand the story but it may help.
8 179The Edge of Endless
Due to some unforseen and significant life events, this story will be on hiatus for a time. Reborn into a strange but familiar world, Alex makes it his mission to uncover the mysteries of governments, gods, and the arcane realm known only (and inaccurately) as the Unending Depths. Slowly but surely, he grows in ability and meets new and interesting people. tEoE is an epic fantasy LitRPG with a focus on plot, writing, and hopefully original twists on the standard formula of 'MC picks cool class, levels up'. Give it a read if any of the following appeals to you: > 3000-5000 words per chapter, chapters released at least once per week, usually several times. Expect good grammar. > Story focus on illusions, secrets, and traps (along with the usual combat and character stuff). > Progression fantasy, but one where progress is meant to feel earned, moderately paced, and reasonable. Some advantages, but not big, unfair ones. > If a random reader can work out that putting a big rock in a bag of holding, lifting it, and then dropping the rock is free energy, then so could an adventurer who's owned a bag of holding for twenty years. Side characters have brains too. > Blue boxes! Levels! [Classes]! [Skills]! Loot! > No uncomfortable sexist undertones. Ambivalent about including relationships. Definitely no harems. There are a number of arcs planned and this will be ongoing for some time. I am very appreciative of the kind reviews and comments left so far.
8 179Dandelion
Amber Houston was born light-years from Earth, aboard the enormous colony starship Dandelion. By the age of fourteen, she has spent her entire life training as a “Ranger,” ready for the day when she will be among the first humans ever to set foot on an alien world & build a new civilization. When Dandelion suffers an emergency toward the end of its journey, Amber & her fellow young rangers are evacuated & land on the planet Newhome years ahead of schedule. While the adults left behind on Dandelion slow the ship & turn it around to come back—in eight years—Amber & her friends must build lives for themselves amid revelations that will change Humankind’s destiny forever. Meanwhile, aboard the ship, secrets that were buried over three hundred years ago finally come to light…
8 112Gamble
My name is Vak Tychus. Aside from the, regrettably striking name, there were very few things I'd judge, that made me - me. The name had to do with chance or fate. My last name was Latin, derived from the Latinized name Eutychus which was the combination of two Greek words corresponding to "good" and "luck, chance, and fortune." Now that you know why I'm so unhealthily and exceedingly prone to gambling I can begin to teach you why exactly I love it so much. There's a handful of things you'd have to know to really appreciate how to gamble. You'd be surprised at how much you can learn in two decades supposing you stuck with it your entire life. Although, there are some stark differences between betting a handful of cash and your life against monstrous creatures intent on your blood. Well, you learn a thing or two, if you can believe it. Here, in fact, we can start with the first one: Taking a risk. Try it now and start reading.
8 154Street Cultivation - a modern wuxia/litrpg hybrid
In the modern world, qi is money. The days of traveling martial artists and mountaintop masters are over. Power is controlled by corporations, modernized martial arts sects, and governments. Those at the bottom of society struggle as second class citizens in a world in which power is a commodity. Rick is a young fighter in this world. He doesn't dream of immortality or becoming the strongest, just of building a better life for himself and his sister, who suffers from a spiritual illness. Unfortunately, life isn't that easy... (Author's Note: After the first book's successful run on Amazon, I'm posting the sequel chapter by chapter here as well for all the fans who supported me.)
8 140Life of Numbers
Everything in life can be measured, and everything in life is measured. Each person who has ever lived has five Numbers on their arm, defining the five primary attributes of that person. Throughout someone's life, these will increase with time and effort, and all of society revolves around these Numbers. What happens when this natural system of Numbers, the basis of all of society for all of history...changes? My first fiction, so I appreciate all reviews and feedback!
8 157Adventures of an Old Dreamer
There once was a boy that lived in a village with no name in a remote corner of a province in a grand empire. Every villager had their place, and his was a shepherd's. Despite that, or perhaps because of it, the boy was an avid dreamer, yearning for adventure between each book he read. Decades go by in the blink of an eye and the young boy grows into an old man, yet remains a shepherd, watching his flock live and die in an endless cycle of life. Yet, the old man dreams on about adventure, never too old to indulge in his delusions. One fateful night, however, his endless prayer gets answered. Two immortals fall from the sky, and from their corpses, the old man acquires the means to strength in order to adventure. What does the world have in store for Lao Chen. --- A Xianxia with a little twist. Rated gore and traumatising, potentially triggering. Enjoy!
8 215Old Man's Adventure
A plane flying over the Atlantic Ocean suddenly loses power and prepares to make a water landing. Yet as they crash into the ocean the passengers suddenly find themselves on land. A message greets them, stating that a System has taken over the world and that monsters will begin to spawn in two hours. Due to their circumstances, they have been transported to a special zone, away from the rest of civilization. Amongst the passengers is an old man named Frank Wolfe. At seventy-nine years old, his best days are far behind him. But when the System arrives, he realizes that regaining his youth is possible. The System might bring devastation to the population, but for Frank, it's a chance to have a second go at life in this new world. If he and his fellow passengers can survive, that is. Author's note: I am also participant in the Royal Road Writathon challenge :)
8 503The Winds of Fate B1 - The Blood of Kings
The Great Winter reaches its third year and creatures of nightmare thought to be long extinct roam the land once more. The Oathbreaker stirs from his icy prison, calling upon his servants both past and present. The wolf howls, the dragon roars and the serpent thrashes as the world unravels. Heroes will rise, for this will be the age to end all ages. The spirited girl escapes the shackles of tradition, searching for adventure, finding much more. The craven boy goes after her in the name of love. The man with no hand seeks an old friend, and the dragon searches for that which will restore her race. The hero-turned-blacksmith leaves his family to save the world. His friend the King wishes him dead. The blacksmith’s son goes after his father, questioning what it means to be a hero. Their paths intertwine. They guide the Winds of Fate, weaving the song of our salvation. The Twilight of the World approaches. The Heroes of Faengard will ride again. Let the sun rise, and the world be reborn through the ashes of war. Old Synopsis: The first of the chain of events prophesied to end the world has begun. The Great Winter reaches its third year and creatures of nightmare thought to be long extinct roam the land once more. The Tree that protects Faengard crumbles, and only those with the blood of kings can restore it. As a boy on the cusp of adulthood, Ein Thoren's concerns were largely limited to which of the village girls he would marry—but when a mysterious man calls upon his father to save the world, Ein finds himself leaving behind his quiet village life to bring his father back. Along with his childhood friends and a bumbling storyteller, they face a path filled with monsters and myth, swords and sorcerers, dragons and princesses, and a demon wolf that seeks to swallow the sun, all while the world unravels around them in what will be the age to end all ages. The Heroes of Faengard will ride again. Let the sun rise, and the world be reborn through the ashes of war. Release Schedule: I aim to release a minimum of one chapter a week, though sometimes I might release more. DISCLAIMER: I do not own the cover image in any way. Full credit goes to the original artist.
8 77Far Strider
A college student finds himself transported into a strange land with burgeoning magical powers, and is taken in by Ned Stark. Will he sink or swim in this medieval society, and will he ever get home? ====================== OC-insert without knowledge of Game of Thrones, new planeswalker. Slow power ramp. Second crossover: Star Wars (around chapter 39). ======================= As a note, I started this as a speed writing challenge to myself. The challenge was successful, and I managed 100,000+ words (as well as some character sheets in excel and such) over 10.5 days. Then I had to stop and let my hands recover from their burgeoning carpal tunnel syndrome. The story currently stands at around 150,000 words (or ~550 RRL pages) over 54 chapters; expect a chapter a day until I've caught up with the backlog. The focus of this story was not quality writing, and that hasn't changed. I mostly use it as my semi-guilty "I need to write something, but am not focused enough to write something good" story. Expect self-indulgent writing in general, and a bit of OP (or, well, more than just a bit if we're being honest), especially later in the story as the protagonist matures into a more full-blown Planeswalker. But if you're looking for something with a power-ramping protagonist romping around the place, something you'd be a bit embarrassed to admit liking (I know I am) but like anyways (and come on, this is RRL, so that probably describes just about everyone here who actually has shame), then this may be a nice bit of mental junk food for you.
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